Self-monitoring automatic winder



June 10, 1969 v BRYAN, R, ET AL 3,448,936

' I SELF-MONITORING AUTOMATIC WINDER Filed July 28, 1966 INVENTOR MORRISM. BRYAN,JR. MORRIS w. ROBE'RTS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,448,936SELF-MONITORING AUTOMATIC WINDER Morris M. Bryan, Jr., Jefferson, andMorris W. Roberts, Chamblee, Ga., assignors to The Jelferson Mills,Inc.,

Jefferson, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed July 28, 1966, Ser. No.573,738 Int. Cl. B65h 63/00, 59/38 US. Cl. 24235.5 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An automatic winder having a plurality of winding headsthat traverse a closed path, monitoring means for monitoring anoperating condition of each winding hea-d, means to indicate eachwinding head individually as it is being monitored by the monitoringmeans, and accumulating meansfor accumulating the results of severalmonitorings of each winding head.

This invention relates to textile machinery and more particularly, to aself-monitoring automatic winder having improved operating 'efiiciencyand reliability because of the ease with which latent mechanical defectsare identified for the application of corrective maintenance procedures.

Automatic winders in which a plurality "of winding heads traverse a pathas yarn is transferred from a bobbin'to a package are well known in thetextile art. A basic feature of such automatic winders in the providingof a plurality of separate and simultaneous winding operations by theplurality of winding heads operating in combination with a common meansfor handling the series bobbins and packages carried by each windnighead. It is because of this basic feature and many other desirablefeatures that automatic winders are regarded in the textile art as beinggenerally efficient and reliable.

-However, the efliciency and reliability of such automatic winders isdependent upon the application of proper corrective maintenanceprocedures to insure that all winding heads are operating properly andthat no winding head is inoperative because of a mechanical defect for aprolonged length of time. The application of proper correctivemaintenance procedures is relatively easy to achieve with respect toobvious mechanical defects.

However, many mechanical defects are latent in that they are notapparent even though they cause a winding head to malfunction and theapplication of proper corrective maintenance procedures with respect tosuch latent mechanical defects has been diflicult to achieve with priorart automatic winders. This is because the usual indication of a latentmechanical defect in an automatic winder is the malfunction of windinghead in the transfer of yarn from a bobbin to a package and because sucha malfunction of a windnig head is frequently the result of a causecompletely unrelated to a mechanical defect in the winding head such asa broken yarn on the bobbin.

Thus, with prior art automatic winders, malfunctions of a winding headin the absence of an obvoius mechanical defect have generally beenignored on the assumption that they were caused by other than a latentmechanical defect in the winding head and corrective maintenanceprocedures have been applied only when the latent mechanical defect inthe winding head became so serious as to be obvious. In the meantime,the latent mechanical defect in the winding head continued to impair thechiciency and reliability .of the automatic winder.

The invention disclosed herein overcomes this difiiculty with prior artautomatic'winders in the application of proper corrective maintenanceprocedures in that it provides a self-monitoring automatic winder inwhich latent ice mechanical defects which would impair the elficiencyand reliability of the automatic winder if not corrected areconveniently identified. Since latent defects in an automatic winder maybe readily corrected by corrective maintenance procedures once they areidentified, the invention provides an automatic winder which is readilymaintained at full efliciency and reliability at all times.

These improvements in an automatic winder are provided by an automaticwinder having monitoring means for monitoring the operating condition ofeach winding head in a plurality of winding heads during each operatingcycle of the winding head and which in combination with an accumulatingmeans for accumulating the operating conditions of each winding head fora plurality of operating cycles permits the cumulative operatingcondition of each winding head to be readily indicated. The cumulatvieoperating condition of a Winding head will reveal a recurringmalfunction and since a recurring malfunction of a winding head over aplurality of operating cycles is indicative of a latent mechanicaldefect in the winding head, the indication of the cumulative operatingcondition of the winding head which is provided by the invention permitsthe prompt application of proper corrective maintenance procedures sothat the automatic winder provided by the invention is in a state ofsubstantially maximum efiiciency and reliability of all times.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be moreclearly understood from the following detailed description and theaccompanying drawings in which like characters of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schemaitc top plan view of an automatic winder embodying theinvention disclosed herein.

FIG. 2. is an enlarged side elevational view. of one of the pluralitywinding heads included in the automatic winder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schemitac diagram of a circuit arrangement for thatembodiment of the invention disclosed herein. These figures and thefollowing detailed description disclose a specific embodiment of theinvention but the invention is not limited to the details disclosedsince it may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

The invention disclosed herein is best understood in terms of anautomatic winder 10 such as that generally shown in FIG. 1 having aplurality of winding heads 11 such as that shown in FIG. 2. It will beunderstood that an automatic winder 10 of. this type conventionallyincludes an oval track 12 formed by an upper rail 13 and a lower rail 14and around which the plurality of winding heads 11 are moved by chain 15as yarn 16 is transferred from a bobbin 17 to a package 18. A magazinehopper 19, a goose neck .20, andother components (not shown) serve toprovide each winding head 11 with a new bobbin 17 having a yarn end tiedto a yarn end of the previous bobbin 17 each time the winding head 11passes the maga zine hopper 19. These and other conventional structuralcharacteristics and the Winding operation of the automatic winder 10will be understood by those skilled in the art.

However, unlike prior art automatic winders, an automatic winder 10embodying the invention disclosed herein includes a signature unit 21mounted on each winding head 11, a signature responsive station 22positioned adjacent the oval track 12 for providing a signature outputcharacteristic of a particular winding head 11 each time the windinghead 11 passes the signature responsive, station 22, and relay 25 in themotor circuit 45 of each winding head 11 for providing a conditionoutput for each winding head 11 each-time the winding head 11 passes thesignature responsive station 22. The plurality of signature units '21,the signature responsive station 22, and the plurality of relays 25together serve to provide a monitoring means for monitoring theoperating condition of each winding head 11 during each operating cycleof the winding head 11 as defined by a complete cycle of motion aroundthe oval track 12. It is this monitoring means in combination with anaccumulating means 26 for accumulating the operating conditions of eachwinding head 11 for a plurality of operating cycles as determined by aplurality of condition outputs and plurality of signature outputs whichprovides a self-monitoring automatic winder which is readily maintainedat maximum efficiency and reliability.

The signature unit 21 which is mounted on each of the plurality ofwinding heads 11 is best seen in FIG. 2 where it will be seen that eachsignature unit 21 includes a vertical actuator member 27 attached at itsupper end to the lower side 28 of the winding head 11. Each actuatormember 27 has a plurality of finger members 29 extending from one sidethereof. The signature responsive station 22 is also best seen in FIG. 2where it will be seen that the signature responsive station 22 includesa vertical support member 30 having a plurality of microswitches 31mounted along one side thereof. The support member 30 is fixedlypositioned on the floor or on a platform 32 adjacent the oval track 12of the automatic winder 10 so that one or more of the plurality ofmicroswitches 31 is operatively engaged by the finger members 29extending from the actuator member 27 mounted on each winding head 11 asthe winding hed 11 moves along the oval tract 12 past the support member30.

Thus, the plurality of signature units 21 and the signature responsivestation 22 are arranged such that during each cycle of motion of eachwinding head 11 around the oval track 12, one or more microswitches 31mounted on the support member 30 is engaged by the finger members 29 ofthe signature unit 21 mounted on the winding head 11. The arrangement ofthe finger members 29 extending from each actuator member 27 differs innumber or position from the arrangement of finger members 29 extendingfrom other actuator members 27 and as a result the passage of eachwinding head 11 along the oval track 12 past the signature responsivestation 22 actuates a microswitch 31 or group of microswitches 31 whichis different from the microswitch 31 or group of micro switches 31actuated by the passage of any other winding head 11.

It is the particular microswitch 31 or group of microswitches 31 whichis actuated by the signature unit 21 mounted on each winding head 11 ofthe automatic winder 10 that provides a signature output from thesignature responsive station 21 for each winding head 11 once duringeach operating cycle of the winding head 11. The signature output isdetermined by which microswitches 31 are operated and those skilled inthe art will understand that the signature output is most convenientlyan electrical output representing a binary coded character having thatnumber of binary digits which corresponds to the number of microswitches31.

This is because an electrical output representing a binary codedcharacter provides a convenient signature input to a conventionalcomputer 40 and permits the computer 40 to be used as an accumulatingmeans 26 for accumulating the operating conditions of each winding head11 during a plurality of operating cycles. The providing of a signatureinput to a computer 40' is best shown in FIG. 3 which shows a circuitarrangement in which the microswitches 31 are arranged to provide aplurality of successive inputs to the computer 40 with the nature ofeach input being determined by which microswitches 31 are operated ornot operated. In that embodiment of the invention disclosed herein,there are ten microswitches 31 and it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the binary coded character represented by asignature output from the signature responsive station 22 and by thecorresponding signature input to the computer 40 may be any of aplurality of binary coded characters between 0000000000 and 1111111111and that these binary coded characters correspond to decimal numbersranging from 0 to 1,023. Thus, in that embodiment of the inventiondisclosed herein, the finger members 29 of the signature units 21 may bearranged to provide a particular signature output and the correspondingsignature input for each of 1,023 winding heads 11 which is differentfrom the signature output of any other winding head 11.

The manner in which the relays 25 provide a condition output is alsobest understood from FIG. 3 in which it will be seen that the motorcircuit 45 of each of the plurality of winder heads 11 includes the coil46 of a relay 25, but the normally open contact 47 of each relay 25 isin one of a plurality of circuits 70 providing an input to the computer40. It will be understood that when the motor 48 of a winding head 11 isenergized there is a continuous input to the computer 40 correspondingto the particular winding head 11 as a result of the energizing of thecoil 46 in the motor circuit 45 of the motor 48 and the closing of acontact 47 by the coil 46. When the motor 48 is not energized, there isno input to the computer 40 corresponding to the winding head 11 and itwill now be understood that it is in this manner that the plurality ofrelays 25 serve to provide a plurality of condition outputs, each ofwhich is a condition input to the computer 40 which is indicative of theoperating condition of a particular winding head 11.

A further understanding of the invention disclosed herein is provided byconsidering the operation of an automatic winder 10 embodying theinvention. As is conventional with an automatic winder 10, the pluralityof winding heads 11 travel continuously along the oval path 12 toprovide for the transfer of yarn 16 from bobbins 17 to packages 18.However, in a self-monitoring automatic winder 10 embodying theinvention disclosed herein, each time one of the plurality of windingheads 11 passes the signature responsive station 22, microswitches 31are actuated by the signature unit 21 carried by the winding head 11.Since the finger members 29 on each signature unit 21 differ in numberor arrangement from the finger members 29 on other signature units 21,the passage of the winding head 11 results 'in particular microswitches31 being actuated which in turn provides a signature output as asignature input to the computer 40.

The computer 40 is programmed in a conventional manner so that each timea signature input is received from the signature responsive station 22,the computer 40 is operatively responsive to the particular conditioninput corresponding to the particular winding head 11 identified by thesignature input. Moreover, the computer 40 is programmed to record thenature of each condition input in terms of whether the contact 47 in thecircuit 70 is open or closed.

It will be understood that it is conventional for each winding head 11of an automatic winder 10 to be arranged so that the yarn 16 passes froma bobbin 17 over an actuator lever 60 to the package 18 and maintainsthe actuator lever 60 in operative position as long as yarn 16 ispassing between the bobbin 17 and the package 18. However, when abreakage of yarn 16 occurs, the actuator lever 60 is released fromoperative position and moves to an inoperative position to open themotor circuit 45 to the motor 48 of the winding head 11. Thus, whetherthe contact 47 of each circuit 70 to the computer 40 is open or closedis dependent upon whether the motor 48 of a particular winding head 11is operative or inoperative which in turn is dependent upon whether ayarn breakage has occurred between the bobbin 17 and the package 18.

Therefore, in a self-monitoring automatic winder 10 embodying theinvention disclosed herein the condition input to the computer 40 eachtime a winding head 11 passes the signature responsive station 22, isindicative of whether yarn 16 is passing from the bobbin 17 to thepackage 18 or whether yarn breakage has occurred so that yarn 16 is nolonger passing from the bobbin 17 to the package 18. The computer 40 isprogrammed in a conventional manner to accumulate those condition inputswhich correspond to the signature inputs from each of the plurality ofwinding heads 11 and to provide a summary of the condition inputs foreach winding head 11 for a plurality of operating cycles of the windinghead 11.

-It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the summary ofcondition inputs from a Winding head 11 which is operating properly willshow an occasional operating cycle in which yarn breakage has occurredand the motor 48 is inoperative. However, a winding head 11 'which isoperating improperly because of a latent mechanical defect will show ahigh frequency of operating cycles in which the motor 48 of the windinghead 11 is inoperative because of yarn breakage. Once such a windinghead 11 is identified, proper corrective maintenance procedures may beused to remove the latent mechanical defect so as to maintain theautomatic winder at maximum efliciency and reliability.

It will now be understood that computer 40 is only generally shownbecause the computer 40 and its programming will be readily understoodby those skilled in the art once the invention is understood. Thoseskilled in art will further understand that the computer 40 is onlyrepresentative of a variety of devices which may used as an accumulatingmeans 26 for accumulating the condition outputs in an automatic winder10 having the monitoring means described herein and that regardless ofthe accumulating means 26 used the self-monitoring automatic winder 10provided by the invention is readily maintained at maximum efficiencyand reliability.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations maybe made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating thepresent invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined bythe appended claims.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. In an automatic winder having a plurality of 'Winding heads whichcontinuously traverse a closed path as yarn is transferred from a bobbinto a package, monitoring means for monitoring an operating condition ofeach of said winding heads at least once during each cycle of movementaround said closed path so as to provide an output indicative of afaulty operating condition of each winding head, signature means toindicate which of said plurality of winding heads is being monitored bysaid monitoring means, and accumulating means for accumulating saidoutputs from said monitoring means for each of said winding heads.

2. An automatic winder according to claim 1 in which said signaturemeans includes a plurality of switches mounted adjacent to said closedpath, and actuating means on each of said winding heads to closeselected ones of said plurality of switches as the winding head passessaid plurality of switches.

3. An automatic winder according to claim 2 in which said selected onesof said plurality of switches closed by an actuating means are ditferentfor each of said plurality of winding heads.

4. The automatic winder of claim 3 in which said selected ones of saidplurality of switches represent a binary coded character.

5. The automatic winder of claim 4 in which said accumulating means is acomputer responsive to said binary coded character.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,961,178 11/1960 Chambley242-356 3,151,818 10/1964 Davis 242-35.5 3,304,015 2/1967 Jenny242--35.6

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 242-36

